Book Discussion | There's Light: Artworks & Conversations Examining Black Masculinity, Identity, and Mental Well-Being, by Glenn Lutz

There's Light is a collection of artworks and conversations showcasing the many faces of Black male identity, brought together and published by the contemporary artist Glenn Lutz. The book examines themes related to Black male identity, masculinity, and mental well-being, highlighting artworks and conversations which delve into the Black male psyche, questioning what it means to be a Black man and how to overcome the inherited traumas and injustices faced as a community to attain success.

For this conversation, Glenn Lutz is joined by Marco Pave, Darnell Moore, Leon Ford, and Wilbert L. Cooper to discuss Black masculinity in the context of empathy, technology, addiction, and racism.

Glenn Lutz is an artist, musician, and author. His practice is conceptual and utilizes books, installation, sculpture, and music as a tool to examine topics including identity, spirituality, mental health, and the cause and effect of the injustices faced by the Black community.

Darnell L. Moore is a writer and activist, and serves as the Vice President of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix. He's also the author of No Ashes In The Fire, and his writings have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Ebony Magazine, and the Huffington Post.

Leon Ford is an activist, public speaker, and the author of UNTOLD. He is also the co-founder of The Hear Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to collaborating with community leaders and the Pittsburgh Police to address issues in the community. As a survivor of a 2012 shooting by a Pittsburgh police officer, Ford's work is centered social activism, mental health, and solutions to racial injustice.

Wilbert L. Cooper is a writer, producer, host, and director of the documentary feature film The Cleveland Strangler. His writings have appeared in publications including the Guardian, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Vice. He currently serves as a staff writer at The Marshall Project.

Marco Pave is an educator, hip-hop artist, and the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at Georgetown University. He is also the founder of Radio Rahim Music, an independent record label that works at the intersection of hip-hop, technology, and activism.